Blue Beard, or Barbe Bleu, is a French short silent film directed by George Melies in 1901.
Bluebeard is looking for a new bride. However, the eligible daughters presented refuse to marry him because of his beard and the disappearances of his previous wives. With his wealth, though, one lady's father gladly marries his daughter to him.
Later, when Bluebeard departs for an errand, he leaves his new bride the keys, warning her not to enter one particular room. The moment he is gone, though, who could resist such temptation?
Despite the film's length (running for only about nine minutes), it faithfully follows most of the fairy tale Bluebeard, with the major difference being the ending of the story.
Blue Beard forbids you from opening these tropes:
- Adaptational Alternate Ending: The film concludes with not only the downfall of Bluebeard at the hands of his bride's relatives, but an angel brings the murdered wives back to life.
- Back from the Dead: After Bluebeard meets his doom, his murdered wives were given a second chance at life and find new husbands for themselves.
- Beard of Evil: Bluebeard, obviously. It's in his name.
- The Bluebeard: Three guesses who it is.
- The Cavalry: The bride's relatives save her from being killed by Bluebeard.
- Child Marriage Veto: The bride, knowing of the rumors surrounding Bluebeard and repulsed by his beard, didn't want anything to do with him.
- Deus ex Machina: The bride's sister inexplicably shows up to signal for their brothers to rescue the bride.
- Faux Affably Evil: Bluebeard presents himself as a respectable, wealthy man of nobility and power, but he demonstrates instances of a nasty temper when something happens to set him off and expresses the will to kill his new bride.
- Female Angel, Male Demon: The devilish imp and the angel that appear in the film are portrayed as male and female respectively.
- Gorgeous Period Dress: For a short film made in the early 1900s, the costumes are a marvel to look at.
- Guilt-Induced Nightmare: After her horrific discoveries in the chamber, the bride has a nightmare over what her husband would do to her along with keys hovering over her.
- The Imp: The imp appears in the film to tempt the bride's curiosity and torments her after she does so.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Bluebeard meets his end when one of her brothers runs his sword through him, pinning him to the castle walls.
- Peek-a-Boo Corpse: When the bride enters the forbidden chamber anyway, she discovers the hanging bodies of Bluebeard's previous wives.
